I want to begin this post by saying I can’t believe that I’m writing this post. Amidst all of the trade and free agency rumors that have been swirling around ever since a lockout deal was finally reached last Saturday, perhaps the most controversial argument that has arisen is whether or not the Celtics should trade budding star Rajon Rondo to acquire Chris Paul from New Orleans. Both players are elite all-star point guards who bring drastically different skillsets to the table, but regardless of who you think is better, this nonsensical hype about CP3 needs to stop and the Celtics need to keep Rondo as their starting point guard for the shortened 2011-2012 NBA season.

I refuse to pick a side in the argument over which point guard is better, partly because stats can be misleading, and partly because the debate should already be over since Paul has stated he will not sign a long term contract with Boston and has requested to be traded to the Knicks, who have ultimately become the biggest threat to Boston in the Atlantic division. It does not appear that the Celtics would have any realistic shot at acquiring Paul anytime in the near future, and the Celtics have no business trading Rondo if they would be unable to land a point guard with as much raw talent as him.

After trading Kendrick Perkins at last year’s trading deadline, the Celtics simply have not had the paint presence and ability to dominate the boards that they once had. While it is easy to point fingers when a team gets exposed like the Celtics did against the Heat in the playoffs, it is important to keep in mind that Rondo was not at the root of any of our problems. Danny Ainge should be working on addressing the issue of the crater that was left behind by the departure of Perkins… not at upgrading flash for more flash. Rondo’s young legs make him the only member of our current starting lineup that will even come close to being able to handle the compressed 66 game season and the nightmare of potential back-to-back-to-back games. Upgrading at the point guard position should be the last thing on Ainge’s mind.

These problems at the center position truly need to be addressed if the Celtics want to remain relevant this season. It seems people have forgotten just how far Rondo has come in his five incredibly productive years with Boston, and his assist numbers continue to annually increase despite the stars who are aging all around him. Rondo has great chemistry with the Big Three, and I firmly believe that without Rondo, the 2008 Championship run would have never happened. He is an explosive passer, slasher, defender, and even rebounder, and the “quarterback” can read a defense better than any other point guard in the Eastern Conference.

The debate over whether Rondo or Paul is the better point guard needs to be settled on the court, and not through the media. The truth is, both players are elite and no matter who is truly better at basketball, Rondo will always be better for the Celtics. He played a vital role in their 2008 Championship run, loves being part of this historic organization, and still has not reached his full potential.

Paul wants to play in New York, so I say let him. If Ainge wants to try to drive up CP3's trade value by leaking Rondo trade rumors, consequently making it slightly more difficult for other star-studded teams like the Knicks and Lakers to acquire players like Paul or Dwight Howard, so be it. But fragile as his young psyche may be, Rondo is the point guard, the quarterback, and the young leader of this veteran Boston team. We all know that the Celtics have issues to address in the paint and in the second unit, but if we want Banner 18, then trading Rondo seems unimportant, deconstructive, and overall impractical.

Personally, I would love to see Rondo running the point for the Celtics again this season, and if we can all look past Chris Paul and put our faith in our point guard like we did in 2008, I believe the best of Rondo’s time in Boston could be yet to come.

even if CP3 goes to the Knicks, ain't nuthin goin to change, they still gonna be losers and CP3 will eventually regret his decision, there's a reason why in many reports, Paul has asked Howard to join him in NY and he's said no. He knows what the Knicks truly are and with these "super" teams being formed, its gets pretty crowded on one team to the point all of them will crash and burn under their own weight, all these teams are trying to understand the Celtics recipe and keep coming short a couple ingredients every single time

why the hell should we trade Rondo (a young, premiere all star PG with untapped potential and a willingness to play with a BROKEN ARM IN THE PLAYOFFS) for Chris Paul ( a young premiere all star PG with maxed out potential and 60 year old knees)....................hmmmmmmm , I'm thinking we keep Rondo but that's just me

Great article. Why the hell don't we hear more support from Rondo from the mainstream Boston media? Rondo's shooting woes are offset by his tenacity on defense and sheer energy. Scal's right - the focus should be on getting help down low and nothing else until that's fixed.

good lord i thought this was becoming a CP3 fansite.... they have no business trading rondo. the only thing that could baffle me more than the perk trade would be this. the celtics need a big man with big presence, plain and simple. if they can manage to get that, they'll be a serious threat.

OMG!!!! Thank you for this post!! No, it shouldn't have been something that needed to be posted in the first place but I'm glad you said what I was thinking and feeling. For a while I was wondering if I was the only believer in Rondo but I'm glad to see I'm. And you couldn't have said it better; we don't have an issue in the point guard position but we have a huge issue with center and the second unit. The C's are going to have to rebuild sooner than later and instead of falling off the way they did for several seasons before the union of the ORGINIAL BIG 3, Ainge needs to address this issue now.

This is what I've been saying as well. why trade a great point guard who is familiar with the players we have for one that isn't? If theres one position that benefits from knowing the subtleties and behaviors of your teammates, it's PG. We should be looking harder at someone like Howard if we are going to make trades, or someone like DeAndre Jordan if we arent going to trade.

The main reason to entertain the thought of trading Rondo is the future. We know he is a great fit and quarterback for the hall of fame line up we have had. This is coming to an end and I really doubt Rondo's value and production when he isn't surrounded by great scorers. I'm not hating on Rajon, I'm just saying he can't create offensive for himself compared to the other great pg's in this league. That is necessary when you aren't passing to great scorers. That is the nature of Rondo's game. He isn't a complete player.